Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals – July 21, 2012
Yeah, well, that sucked. But Randall Delgado pitched well and the Braves split the doubleheader, and it’s not like John Lannan doesn’t always kill us. You pretty much saw this coming.
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Depressing nightcap, and I’m trying to hard to visualize a good outing tomorrow by JJ–getting a headache.
See? Brakes good.
Nice recaps, Alex. Giving each game the space it deserves.
I’m reading the post game quotes and Chipper was whining about the pitching late in the second game. Um, sorry Chipper, But I believe you guys were hitless after the third inning, so it’s hard to blame the pitchers.
Braves released Adam Russell
I see where Diaz was put on the DL and Venters replaced him on the roster. So our bench is Pastornicky, Hinske, and Fransisco. Id have to think we’d call up an OF’r today and send back Vavaro or Avilan.
Sounds like a plan.
someone who can be emergency catcher?
Everyone and their mother knows it’s gonna be Constanza.
Constanza could be useful, if we didn’t have to carry Pastornicky.
We need some extra base power on the bench, like, yesterday.
Willingham, please.
Yeah I bet Avilan goes down since he was the LHP replacement for Venters. And yes it will probably be Constanza. He recently had (has?) a long hitting streak.
His hitting streak ended at 22 a couple games back.
Just keep in mind, Juan Francisco led off an inning as a PH last night.
Constanza to left, Prado to second for a few games.
Does Hinske need more or less at-bats?
—————
I think the plan is for Medlen to become a starter next year. It’s almost August and Moylan isn’t ready, so …
We really need another RH’d OF bat on the bench. Hinske is done, Constanza could replace him at this point and nothing would be lost.
Anyone have the feeling that this is JJ’s last outing for the Braves? You have to believe an upgrade will be made to the rotation and either Minor or Delgado, whoever isnt traded, would get/keep the last spot.
Free agent hitters worth less than 13million per year should be dirt cheap at the deadline. But this second wild card spot is going to keep a bunch of teams from selling.
Be good, JJ. Score some runs, Braves.
Wow, the crowd in D.C. is pumped up.
Guys, it’s going to be a long day.
Jurrjens hasn’t hit a target yet. Nor has he hit 90 MPH.
17- Settle for one out of two?
Okey dokey..
I can’t watch jair pitch anymore. He’s done.
Yeah, um you can hear in Chip & Joe’s voices that even they saw this coming from Jair.
Can’t watch. Time to weed the garden.
I’m not sure Jurrjens will last long enough to be non-tendered. He might be cruising for release waivers.
Zimmerman hit that ball off the end of the bat. One thing that PED usage has done is make me question if that was a “natural” hit.
Poor JJ may stop off at Gwinnett on the way to South Beach.
Okay, Fredi. Now’s the time to be a freaking manager. Take his ass out.
So frustrating. End this Fredi. Jair ain’t right.
When it gets 9-0, we got ’em where we want ’em.
Can you believe Jurrjens was upset about being sent to Gwinnett?
That’s about all I can stomach. I’m gone.
I think Fredi will leave Jurrjens so that he proves once and for all he is toast.
If they win this one, it will show how much they really want this season, from manager on down. In other words, keeping Jair out there is a sign that the team doesn’t care about the big picture. “Getting Jair some work to see if he’s ready” should not be at the expense of the big picture. Taking 3 of 4 from the Nats at their place would be huge, and splitting does absolutely nothing for the math of the standings (I don’t want to end up leaving DC not having gained any ground after winning the first 2 of the series). Instead, the teams finds itself down 4-0 and already playing like they are corpses (aside from Chipper, of course). Part of me thinks that when crap like this happens, the team just decides to coast the rest of the game. Obviously that 9-0 comeback was an extreme outlier, but they can’t rely on that stuff each game. The old “cardiac kids” days of 1991-1992 are gone.
34- That and the bullpen is still fried from the last two days. JJ’s going to have one ugly line today.
Braves are well-balanced right now: can’t pitch or hit.
I wonder if you add up the distance traveled of the balls Constanza hit during this streak, if you’d get at least home run distance in total.
Small strike zone.
I’m choosing to look at it this way: We are a very busted team right now. Our rotation is a wreck, Hudson is hurting and he’s our best guy, and Hanson can’t seem to adapt to his new reality post-surgery. Our bench is abysmal. Uggla is a black hole. Our bullpen is iffy.
Not losing any ground in this series is a plus, and all we can do is hope that Wren makes a few moves. This team is not good enough as is.
Rotations like this one make you really appreciate the Maddiux-Glavine-Smoltz era.
Why are we not walking Zimmerman?
You know, the Braves could hire out Jurrjens and Hanson to pitch in next year’s home run derby.
Could this be the last game for Jurjjens?
Here’s Fredi.
JJ is done. Would be very surprised to see him pitch another game for the Braves.
43: Can’t hire out a guy you’ve already cut ties with.
A day to remember. We are about to witness the worst pitching performance in the history of mankind. Thank you for that, JJ.
The only teams with fewer “quality starts” than the Braves are the Twins, Royals and Rockies. Washington, meanwhile, leads MLB with 61 such performances. It’s a minor miracle this team is within 2 1/2 (3 1/2 barring another rally).
Bring in the clowns.
50- They’re already here, bro.
This is a clown team, bro.
Nice play, Dan and Freddie. Held them to two runs that inning.
Chipper can still hit.
Well, that sucked.
Great. Bases loaded with one out, and do the one thing that prevents a run from scoring on the very next at bat.
Jurrjens.
#hedone
What garbage.
I miss Leo Mazzone.
Avilan’s pretty much the personification of replacement level… and JJ is much worse than Avilan. Mr. Wren, draw your own conclusions.
Somebody asked a couple of days ago if we were in “win now” mode.
Increasingly, I feel like we are not. We are too far away to fix this team with 1-3 players.
As is now, it feels like we need a couple of starting pitchers, a bullpen arm and a couple of better bench bats. Too much, because of the injury to Beachy. It seems like we could really hurt ourselves filling all those roles.
I want Edgar Renteria back!
Actually Avilan doesn’t look bad.
61- That opens another question: whether the front office thinks we’re in “win now” mode. Missing the playoffs the way we did last year, combined with the new two-wild-card system, it’s a lot harder for Wren et al to say that we’re not, or shouldn’t be, in position to win now.
I think we’re definitely in win-now mode. Next year we’re gonna suck without Chipper and likely without one of Bourn/McCann. As bad as we look at times, we’re still right in this thing. I expect we’ll make a trade next week. If not then Wren isn’t even trying. The future is now with this team.
It’s OK guys, we’ve got loads of pitching talent in the minors. That always equates to success, right?
Why would we be without McCann next year?
I expect the lesser blogs to ride every win/loss like a 5 dollar hooker. Braves journal is better than that…
@67, I would trade him. I don’t know how likely it is in reality though.
Ryan: Maybe it’s that the losses (at least the more recent ones) have a quality to them that other losses don’t. In these, it seems they just don’t care, and then the problems compound throughout the game. As I type, the Braves just avoided the shutout on a wild pitch, but the Nats already have 8 runs. They just looked defeated the moment Jair gave up the first runs.
If the season ended today, we’d be in the post-season. Of course, we’re in win-now mode.
Here’s a stupid question: why don’t Uggla and Prado switch positions? It won’t matter next year with Prado (hopefully) moving to third but I can’t help but wonder. #neverhappening
@70
And you don’t think this is a common gripe for any team across the Majors? Baseball is a hard frickin’ game and even when players try their hardest, they can look as though they’re not trying at all. For the majority, it’s not a sport won on emotion no matter what the emotional fans think.
@68, Thank you.
#72: I don’t think Uggla is as athletic as Prado, and would adapt worse to LF. I also think Prado is really not that good of a 2B, though he is really an excellent 3B, so the move would not earn us too much.
I think part of the reason the Braves were able to sign Uggla to an extension after they traded for him is that they promised not to move him off 2nd base.
Ryan @73: I understand your point, but today it looked like the players gave up as soon as we did here on the board. I get the feeling that they also know that Jair shouldn’t have been out there if we wanted a chance to take 3 out of 4. Is that unfair of me? Probably. And maybe my criticism is more accurately targeted towards Fredi and upper management.
@75 & 76, I know, I know. It’s video game logic but it’s still weird to say a power hitting second baseman fumble grinders while our former middle infielder plays LF.
Aaand I miss the edit button still.
Prado has been much more valuable in LF than he would have been at 2b (+8 DRS in LF and his best year at 2b was +2) and Uggla, by all accounts, is actually a slightly above average defensive 2b this year.
Wonder if Dayton Moore would give us Will Myers for Jurrjens.
Big problems
1. 4-5 starters
2. Dan Uggla–he’s making this a 23 out game for the opposition.
I think everyone saw this coming from JJ today. We actually saw it in his last start. Delgado has to replace him moving forward until a trade is made.
Rumors are that Wren is calling about Lester. He’s either hurt or ready to get out of Boston…Last 3 starts
4.1IP 9H 4ER 2BB 6K
4.0IP 7H 6ER 3BB 4K
4.0IP 9H 11ER 5BB 2K
Should fit right in.
@84 The attitude in Boston is toxic, I wouldn’t put too much stock in his number this year.
Jurrjens for Lester, straight up? Yes, I’m dreaming.
I hate it when people say a team looks like they don’t care when they get beat. I damn well guarantee that they care but how can you overcome crappy performances like Jurrjens’. The fact is, the Nats are a better team than the Braves-their rotation is miles better. Detwiler is the number 5 starter but with the Braves he would be, at worst, the number 3. The fact is, Friday night was a fluke and the Nats should have won 3/4 and, arguably all 4 because they had chances in the first game yesterday. The Braves are so stacked with left handers that any team with even mediocre lefties beat the Braves. Uggla is one of the worst players in baseball right now and JJ is one of the worst pitchers. Despite this, the Braves still have a shot at the playoffs but they are simply not as good as the Nationals. It’s not a matter of not caring, it’s not having enough good players. When you get behind early constantly, any team looks flat but it’s ridiculous to say they don’t care. Just because teams make mistakes doesn’t mean they don’t care. The Braves’ problem is not that the players don’t care, it’s that ownership doesn’t care.
“and, arguably all 4 because they had chances in the first game yesterday.”
Every team could “arguably” have a dozen more wins on the season if they made due of all their “chances.” How many chances have the Braves blown? Feels like a ton. The Nationals had their chances in that game and they failed. The end.
All and all, the Braves are 3.5 back with over two months. The Nationals look better on paper, but plenty of teams that look good have gone nowhere or collapsed. The Braves’ rotation is bad, but the trade deadline is coming up, maybe it’ll be more acceptable soon.
The Braves can’t afford to keep losing games started by the Axis of Suck (Delgado, Jurrjens, Minor) though.
Braves cant afford to have Hanson pitching the way he has been either. We need a top of the rotation guy to replace JJ and we need more from Hanson. Minor or Delgado pitching every 5th day wont kill you.
Dempster is not a top of the rotation guy, either. Really hope that’s not what we go after.
At this point what we should be hoping is that Wren actually lands somebody, and doesn’t come up with Farnsworth/Ankiel redux, and say “There was nothing at a price we were comfortable paying.”
The trade market seems like what you’d expect. More teams in the race means it’s a seller’s market. No matter how many good pitchers there are out there, it just doesn’t seem like enough to go around.
This from MLBTR sounds like us to me: “Some of the demands out there are ludicrous,” said one NL adviser. “We asked about a lefty pitcher and they asked us for our best pitching, best hitting, and a couple of other established players. I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ That’s why I’m thinking despite all the talking, I’m not sure much is going to get done.”
Farnsworthless and StAnkiel played a big role in game two of the 2010 NLDS.
I didn’t like the Farnsworth/Ankiel trade even when it was made. It looked like a trade just to appease fans. We gave away Blanco and Collins in that deal who were both better players than what we got back.
Wow, Collins has a 123 ERA+ with 12.2 K/9. Lefthanded and with four more years of control. I hadn’t realized how badly that one turned out.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/atlanta-braves-closing-in-on-zack-greinke-072212
#96 – Sorry, not in the mood for that one.
@96, you bastard.
Some bastard on Twitter is impersonating Chipper Jones and pledging money to the Aurora victims for every retweet. Beyond disgusting.
96 – well played.
With the Dodgers cooling on Ryan Dempster, the Braves have emerged as the favorites to land the right-hander, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Potential suitors, including the Cardinals and Nationals, are weary to part with better prospects for what could prove to be a rental given Dempster’s status as a free agent at the end of the season.
Just wish Wren would do something before the rotation rolls around to two of Minor, Delgado and Jurrjens’ turns again.
Well, good and bad then. JJ’s spot can be skipped with the next off day. Hope that doesnt delay anything.
If Wren gives up meaningful prospects for Dempster, he should be fired immediately. And I say that as a fan of his.
@88,
Dan, I agree and I probably exaggerated but my point was to the statement that the players didn’t seem to care. They certainly cared on Friday night. The problem was (1) JJ turned in an absolutely horrendous performance-especially cared to the other AAA pitcher the Nats called up to pitch the second game yesterday; and (2) the lineup is basically helpless against left-handed pitching. The Nats are a better team at this point. That’s the issue, not whether the players cared.
We should have lost 3 of 4, so the bright side is that we leave town without our tails between our legs. Why we continue to throw batting practice to their middle of the order hitters – Zimmerman especially – is a mystery to me. Maybe after he hits his 12th dinger off of us we might consider pitching around him.
The Nats do look better than us, but who cares. Just get in. We know that the best team doesn’t always win. Hell we’ve proved that a few times ourselves.
Splitting a four game set on the road is really good.
Dempster for 2012? I’m in.
Dempster for 2013 onward? Notsomuch.
Funny stuff. Chip gets political from time to time on Twitter. Today “he” posted a few tweets and one of them was political and probably a little classless. Now he is saying he was hacked.
I’m not going to get political on here, but seeing Chip squirm is funny.
@104 I think this is exactly what Wren wants to avoid doing, but JJ’s performance today doesn’t help. Currently, internal solutions remain to be Medlan and Delgado. If we put Medlan in the rotation and get bullpen help instead, the cost may be cheaper.
Chip wasn’t hacked. He said he didn’t have internet access on the flight–others on that flight were tweeting.
@111
Then he said that he was Tweeting baseball things too at the same time. But he was on a flight and couldn’t Tweet.
I really don’ care or take it personally, but picking at Chip is funny.
Are you talking about Chip or Chipper being hacked?
Chipper doesn’t have a twitter. That person this evening was a fake account.
Chip Caray often tweets right-wing stuff, and tonight he tweeted something kind of distasteful about the Aurora shootings. A bunch of people flipped out and then he said his account was hacked, and he had no access to Twitter on the flight.
I don’t know either way. But it really isn’t out of character for him, to be honest. He’s said some things in the past..
I followed Chip once, but his tweets were so annoying or just plain dumb that I couldn’t stand reading them, so I had to unfollow him. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he really said that.
If that wasn’t enough for the Braves to understand that Jair Jurrjens is toast, I don’t think the Braves get that the object is winning ballgames. Jurrjens is steadily getting worse and one game against the Red Sox doesn’t change that.
What a frustrating end to a series that began so fantastically.
Well, if I would have hacked Chip’s Twitter account, I would have tweeted pictures of horse cocks or something. Not potentially offensive political comments. Just saying.
My comments about not being in “win-now” mode were not a reaction to today’s game.
To me, sacrificing the future for this season’s roster is a part of “win-now.”. With the pitcher who was far and away the ace of the staff on the shelf, I feel like taking from the resources that would support his return is not playing our best hand.
Hudson and Hanson are not performing well enough to look like a 1 or a 2. That leaves us with too many holes to fill in the rotation. For this team to be competitive any time in the next few years, we need our young guys to develop, which means not trading them during their growing pains.
@118, Couldn’t agree more. I think we’ll continue to contend for a playoff spot with a decent acquisition but I’m not convinced this is “win now or bust” situation that warrants a blockbuster trade.
Recapped.